Nearly 4 million people visit Mariposa County every year for some
very good reasons. The main reason, of course, is that Mariposa
County is the home of Yosemite. But there are many other reasons.
As a major tourist destination there is an abundance of things to
see and do here. Considering that Mariposa County is relatively
unpopulated (with only 18,000 residents) and remains unspoiled (by
preserving its natural beauty and exceptional quality of life), this
abundance of things to see and do is particularly remarkable.
Visitors and residents alike enjoy fine dining, shopping and
entertainment. The recreational activities are virtually
unlimited: hiking, rafting, bicycling, golf, skiing, gold panning,
rock climbing, fishing, birding, horseback riding, sky gazing, and
more. Cultural activities also abound with galleries, regular
concerts and special events throughout the year.

Nearly everyone who visits Yosemite National Park falls in love
with the area. Not surprisingly, a growing number of these tourists
are choosing to move here to enjoy the natural beauty and rural
charm year-round. And for those who want to start or relocate
a business, Mariposa County welcomes you with very lenient Home
Enterprise and Rural Home Industry zoning laws. In fact, Mariposa
County is so friendly to small and home-based businesses that there is not
even a requirement for a business license. Some of these new
residents are artists and artisans inspired by the beautiful scenery
found throughout the county. Others have careers or businesses,
particularly in high-technology fields, whose jobs allow them to
live virtually anywhere. So why not live in one of the nicest
places on the planet?! These folks also find the combination of a
high quality of life and a relatively low cost of living
particularly inviting. And some decide to take advantage of the
market opportunity created by 3-4 million tourists visiting Yosemite
annually to open or relocate their local/visitor-serving businesses
here.

As the home of Yosemite, Mariposa County remains a relatively
undeveloped environment dominated by the natural beauty of majestic
mountains and rolling foothill grasslands. The rural quality of
life and four mild seasons attract many self-employed, semi-retired
and retired professionals who seek to escape the congestion of urban
settings. Artists and artisans, writers, consultants and other
cottage industry “freelancers” are particularly drawn to the region
for its affordable, laid back lifestyle and abundance of inspiring
scenery.

The County government is quite friendly to these small businesses.
There is no requirement for a business license, and zoning laws
encourage “Rural Home Industry” entrepreneurs. In addition,
the County’s long-term General Plan strongly supports the many
self-employed individuals and small business operators who
constitute a major force in the local economy.

Mariposa County is also expected to be home to many faculty and
staff members at the new University of California campus in
neighboring Merced County. A mere 30-45 minute commute will
allow families to live “Above the Fog and Below the Snow” in the
foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Their children will
attend Mariposa County schools, which excel as one of California’s
finest rural school districts.

The transportation needs in and around Mariposa County are served
by state highways, county roads, a general aviation airport and the
Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System, or YARTS. As a major
year-round tourist destination, recreational opportunities abound
for naturalists, hikers, sports enthusiasts, historians, art lovers,
equestrians, and more. Even amateur astronomers find the clear
night sky a welcomed changed from the light pollution of
metropolitan areas.

One of the main attractions of Mariposa County is its world-class
scenery—and not just in Yosemite National Park, along the Wild &
Scenic Merced River, and throughout the Sierra National Forest.
From its rolling foothills rising gently from the Central Valley to
its highest peaks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Mariposa County is
indeed a special place. These scenic views are at the
foundation of why so many people continue to choose to live and work
here so that they, too, can enjoy the extraordinary quality of life
to be found in Mariposa County.

The scenic variety of terrain, the temperate climate and access to a
wide variety of recreational activities throughout the entire year
combine to make Mariposa County’s character a treasure that
residents and visitors desire to protect. Preserving this
exceptional quality of life is an objective of the EDC’s economic
development efforts. For this reason, Mariposa County does not
support the “suburban foothill economy” found in portions of other
rural counties, such as El Dorado, Nevada, and Placer.
Mariposa County residents have witnessed the impact of sprawl in
surrounding counties, and as a result, desire to avoid such a
pattern of development. For residents who do enjoy the
opportunities afforded by a more suburban economy, Mariposa does
provide a landscape of rural homes with reasonable commutes to
Fresno, Merced and Modesto.

While “Quality of Life” inevitably means different things to
different people, some of the shared characteristics in Mariposa
County include…

A rural lifestyle that is relaxed and laid back

Four distinct seasons—all mild and enjoyable

Air that is clear and full of sunshine an average of 265 days a year

Cost of living and crime rates that are among the lowest in California

Abundant outdoor recreational activities

Numerous volunteer and community service organizations for anyone who wants to get involved

A hospital that provides life-saving emergency services, with a choice of local doctors providing routine medical care

Ability to shop locally for daily needs, with a half-hour’s drive affording a wide variety of retail services to meet just
about any need

Both the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Employment Development Department provide
up-to-date information on employment, occupations, economic
indicators and other factors relevant to economic development. The
links below provide current at-a-glance economic profiles for Mariposa
County. Detailed information is also available at each site.